I'm not particularly religious, at least in the Judeo-Christian traditions, but I can easily appreciate the holidays that affect the American Culture. This weekend, a fairly big one occurs.

Easter.

One thing that has always made me wonder about Easter is how the heck did chocolate come to represent the resurrection of Christ. After a bit of reading, I have found the answer.

Easter Chocolate has nothing to do with the resurrection. Rather, it can be traced to the pagan celebration of all things spring related, with the vernal equinox and such. Hares and eggs have long represented fertility, which is a fairly big deal when it comes to spring. Those wacky Germans, always looking for an excuse to add chocolate to anything celebration, probably were the first to make chocolate eggs and hares. My own theory (not based on anything other than an anecdotal familiarity with religion) contends that chocolate was often seen as a luxury, and after the several weeks of fasting and giving up items of pleasure for lent, chocolate was one of the first items re-introduced to the decadent Catholics and Lutherns.

Later the tradition immigrated to here in the United States along with the Germans, where the custom took hold in the culture after after the Civil War.

Baskets of food for Easter dinner used to be taken to church to be blessed. Over time, this became instead baskets of chocolates for children left behind by the Easter Bunny.

So if you've ever wondered what's up with Jesus and Chocolate, now you have a clearer understanding. We eat chocolate bunnies due to a melding of Pagan and Catholic traditions. As to why the head is the first thing we eat off of a chocolate bunny, it's because we're sadistic bastards.

Happy Easter!